Fraternae Caritas est Dulcem
by UltraVioletSoul
Summary: In his crystallized and grayish life, love certainly wasn't in his list of priorities. That was, until he met her. But it seemed fate was laughing at his face, as it always did, for there was a serious problem: she was his sister. AU. Discontinued.
1. Lucis

_**Author's Note:**_

_Please, consider this story as an AU. This is my very first Final Fantasy fanfic, so please go easy on me. As you could read, this story will contain incest, but also angst and maybe some explicit content (haven´t decided yet) so if you are easily offended by these kinds of things, please don´t read it. It is my best advice to you._

_Also, it is my first time publishing a story written in a foreign language (since English is not my native language), so that´s why __**Luxuria De'Voire**__ is my beta reader, I'm so grateful to her. She had lent me a helpful hand and corrected all of my misspellings and grammar mistakes and helped me with some descriptions. But since I added some new things in the chapter while she was fixing the excerpt I'd sent her, you'll still see some of them; but it's my fault, not hers!_

_I have to say that __**Luxuria **__is such an awesome beta reader! And of course, she speaks Latin very well! She corrected the title, so from now on it will be Fraternae Caritas est Dulcem. _

_It means Fraternal Love is Sweet (even though Caritas is translated as Charity in most of cases, but also means "love", "affection", "fondness", "passion", "want") making a clear reference to the relation between the two of them, not only as siblings but as lovers, too._

_Once again: thank you very much __**Luxuria**__! You are amazing!_

_And thanks to __**FallenAngel680**__ my first reviewer! ^^ you impressed me too! I posted this on Monday and I was already getting a review the same day, you made me really happy. And I assure all of you I'll do my best not to disappoint you._

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_**DISCLAIMER:**_

_I do not own Final Fantasy versus XIII or any of its characters as they all belong to Square Enix and Nomura. All I own is my OC._

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_**Advertisement: **__This will contain a slowly paced romance, for the sake of this story (Sorry Noctella fans, I know you are going to kill me for this)_

_There will be NoctisXOC and possibly, slight NoctisXStella later on._

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_**Capitulus 1: Lucis**_

_Lucis is Latin for "Light"_

It was late in the afternoon, and the last rays of the sun were slipping softly into the shadowy figures of concrete that plagued the enormous city, staining the sky with a beautiful and exceptional cerulean shade. The pale and low figures danced amongst the pavement as his soft azure eyes watched the arrayed view of buildings that passed by remotely, surely in deep thought.

He supposed he would be more excited now that he finally was going back home after so many years of absence. He thought he would feel something more now that he was able to be with his family again. Sure, he was experiencing some kind of spiritual bliss, but not as much as he expected.

And who could blame him? After being detached from the people he most loved, he was tossed into a rigid world of education and instruction, to become the perfect prince they wanted him to be. Through years of draining effort and inflexible discipline, full of sleepless days and nights, under pressure and demanding duties while never complaining, never contradicting, and always obeying. Of course, this was his fate, since he was born. After all, he was the heir to the crown of his land.

But it didn´t matter that he was the next in line to rule over the kingdom, he knew he was going to be a mere puppet of this old decrepit Consilium, and he wasn´t going to be a true ruler, at least not completely. Instead he would have to go and agree with everything what these counselors said to him, and that is why he was taken away from his home and separated from his family at a very young age: to prepare him, or more precisely, to brainwash him.

He was just a child back then. Just a little boy, who hadn´t lived yet, who didn´t know anything about this world and its ghostly cruelness; a boy who foolishly believed that life was easy and pleasant; who didn´t have to worry about anything at all, who didn´t have to fear…

They stole his innocence; they took it away from him. They forced him to mature and face reality. At a tender age when most of the kids should be playing with their toys and enjoying childhood he had to face the harshness of the adult world for he wasn´t treated like a child anymore. Soon, he came to understand that he would never have a normal life as other children do. His was so filled with responsibilities and compromises to do such great things, and people expected so much of him. Sometimes he just wished he could disappear— escape. He wanted freedom so desperately that he didn't give a damn about being king.

When things couldn´t be worst, he met them. It was something unexpected, but it was fine with him, and everything around him was planned with such anticipation that he couldn´t help but think how boring and predictable his life had become. But wait a minute… What life was he talking about? For as long as he had known, he had been nothing but a prisoner— just a pawn on this chess board that they had settled for him, following orders like a good little boy as his father told him to do so. After all, what could a ten-year-old kid do about it?

Ignis and Gladiolus. Certainly, they were some kind of support and even if they could only share little moments, they were enough to give him the strength to endure this severe indoctrination. Noctis knew that they were loyal to him, not only because he was the prince, but also because they were his friends and that was something invaluable to him: being able to find people who could see him as a human being and not some kind of computer device in need of programming.

Something he had learned over the years was to hide his emotions under a stoical façade, though his insides burned sometimes with such rage and frustration that he just wanted to scream till his ears bled and his voice died. He pretended nothing could touch him and that nothing could affect him in the slightest, but that was a filthy lie. Yeah, maybe he was from royalty, a crown prince of the most powerful kingdom in the continent, but he was made of flesh and blood. He, too, had feelings…

He had a shy nature, but acted cool around strange people. Unlike that dumb type of shyness, he just didn´t liked it too much being around others too often, and jealously enclosed himself in his own shell, not wanting anyone unknown to discover the secrets his soul kept private. Ignis and Gladiolus knew this, that even if he pretended to be impassive deep down he had a sensible heart that was filled with sadness [1] and loneliness. And even thought they were his friends, he still felt lonesome in his world.

Because Noctis knew a hefty load was about to be thrown upon his shoulders, sooner or later, and maybe he felt… unease? Because so many lives and things depended on _this_, the order of this kingdom depended on _this_: on the crystal and its source of power. Several times he found himself wanting to switch places with someone else and wanting to live a normal life, with no worries, no pressure, no prince Noctis and no crown.

He rested his cheek on his knuckles, narrowing his eyes slightly, why should he be afraid? All this time he did nothing but prepare to take his father´s place one day, still he knew that wasn´t going to happen any time soon, or at least that was what he thought. To assume his role as a king, the _Cesar [2]_ needed to abdicate the title to him, his _filius [3]_; but Noctis was far too much young to be the king of Aeon [4]. He was only eighteen years old, and it was obvious that the power wasn´t going to be handed over to him, unless it was absolutely necessary. It was a fact that if suddenly his father parted to the Paradise he surely could ascend to the throne.

But he couldn't care less about that. King Aureus Solis Caelum [5] could rule Aeon for all he cared. The idea of complotting against _Pater_ [6] was far beyond ridiculous, he couldn´t even imagine doing something as atrocious like that. There were many enemies outside craving for the power of the crystal, and for the sake of Etro their family must be united now and ever.

Yeah, indeed he was accepting his duty and the task as the next protector of the last piece of crystal. This is why he was born; it was his fate, and although he would have wanted it to be another way, his path was already signaled by the lights of the night sky. [7]

_Noctis Lucis Caelum…_

He remembered the bedtime stories that _Pater_ used to tell him before going to sleep. He used to say that this precious gem was the crystallized blood of the _fal´Cie_ Etro, rejected and exiled by Buniberzei who feared her for being the image of his dead mother, Muin. Lonely for not having a task to fulfill and feeling miserable for lacking powers to create nothing on her own, Etro wandered around the world.

However, in her last attempt to breed life she sacrificed her own. She tore her body, and let her essence flow through the earth, embracing it before disappearing into the invisible world. From her blood sprung humankind, and even if the only were born to die, this was considered her most beautiful and pure act of love. Thus, these crystals were the ancient ancestors of mankind [8] and more important: they held divinity and power of the _fal'Cies, _the first beings ever created in the universe.

It happened Aeon was the only realm that possessed the very last palpable remain of the goddess they worshipped; and hence they carefully protected it from the outside world. Not even common citizens knew about its existence nowadays, only those people who were in search of controlling its might.

"_Later news, Prince Noctis has returned to the capital of Regia after his long absence. We remind you that the heir to the throne of Aeon had moved to Insomnum city [9] in his early childhood, away from the royal family and the Umbra _[10]_ palace, to be instructed in the most prestigious Academy of the kingdom. Now that he have qualified, with an exceptional and brilliant record, might I add, he is returning home to reassume his life next to his family, the king of the Caelum Dynasty and his little sister, the Princess Atrum… [11]_

His expression softened a bit at the very name of his sister, wondering vaguely what she did all these years. He hadn´t doubted that her childhood was full of the peace and freedom that his lacked so much, but maybe she didn´t remember a thing about him. She was too much young when he moved away from Umbra, and probably, by now, she had grown into a young lady and was maybe around her fourteen or fifteen years of age, he couldn´t recall.

It was quite difficult to evoke her childish image. In his mind the picture was so blurred and confusing. His memory had dangerously forgotten about the little person she once was, and he couldn´t recall the depth of her big pale blue eyes, shining happily as they looked up at him with such adoration. He couldn´t remember the gracious smile that was outlined on her pink lips, or the softness of her bright, black-bluish hair that cascaded down her shoulders, and neither could he remember the joy they had shared then.

Those pleasing recollections fell into the dark abyss of oblivion, but when he realized… it was too late. Only ephemeral traces were left to remind- traces that would never fill the emptiness that pursued his soul. He had searched for them often, only to find his dreams shattered and replaced by nightmares that plagued his sleep since that unfortunate incident.

The day his achromatic life dirtied with a different shade of color; the day he took his last breathe. When his soul was fading away, drowning in the salty-metallic taste of fear, his beautiful cerulean eyes slowly shutting as they saw people running and screaming for dear life. There was no pain, nor regret, only a heavy emptiness and darkness. That was, until he saw _it_… light, a bright, pure and comforting light slowly descending from the sky and bathing his pale skin…

That day he reached the gates of death. He had been so close to feel her embrace, warm and soft, when all his worries and fears disappeared and he was in peace. F or the first time in a long while he felt joy and beloved. However, his bliss was short-lived when he was told he must come back, and he asked why… he said he wanted to stay, and that there was no way he was coming back to that hellhole, but someone said it was not the time… not yet. And suddenly, the beautiful light died leaving him sad and abandoned, surrounded by shadows again; falling into an eternal descent.

The pain had returned, and he felt it in every inch of his body as he tried desperately to move and fight the horrific demons eating his bloody flesh; the same sorrow filled his heart. He tried to scream but his voice refused to speak, he was drowning again in his own scarlet fluids as he felt his body being slaughtered. He was dying for sure…

Then, he did something he'd never expected…

_He prayed._

His nose inhaled in the strong scent of the aseptic cleanliness, the growls of the beasts extinguished as he heard human faint voices around him, not sure if they were real or merely illusions in his aching head. His closed eyes slowly opened, almost as if they were afraid of what they might see, only to find an excruciating amount of pain overcome them, so much that he shut them tightly, in attempt to adjust to the artificial light above him. He heard a so familiar voice calling his name, and his blurred vision slowly focused meeting the worried expression of a male.

He was alive…

"_The royal family will eventually throw a ball to celebrate this important event. Yeah, I´m sure they will. Maybe the prince will meet the next queen of this kingdom, don´t you think so?"_

"Turn that off" said Noctis coolly to his chauffer, already fed up with all that blabbering. Meeting a girl? He had no time for such mundane things right now; it was completely absurd and foolish. Love wasn´t in the list of his priorities, let alone marriage. And if, only if, he were to get married, it was pretty sure it would be arranged. His father and those dogs counselors wouldn´t allow him to marry someone without analyzing the pros and cons of that potential union, speaking politically. But then again, since he was too young, it was nothing he should worry about, at least not for now.

"Right away, prince" answered the man.

He switched off the radio and soon the beautiful silence filled Noctis' ears, only the low sound of the car´s engine being audible. The prince´s eyes scanned the surface of the leather seat that was in front of him as the thin LED touch screen displaying the weather forecast, and again switched back to the urban landscape. The sun had already begun to set and the once heavenly blue sky was now stained in a deep and intimidating black. The stars were out of sight due to the blinding city lights that shined brightly, and the silver and full moon was partially hidden by the high dark buildings, whose small squares of light started to switch on one after the other.

It was hard to believe that this city was once in ruins. That once, this grand metropolis suffered the cruelty and harshness of a cold war caused by greed and a desire of absolutely power. A war that left behind a tragic cipher of casualties, severely damaged economies, and cities reduced to dusty ruins, each distant dreams of the majestic glory they once incarnated. Many of them would remain remnants of the nightmares of the past. The bloody story that later, would be recalled.

"I´m sure your family will be glad to see you, prince" commented the chauffer watching the young heir through the rear-view mirror.

"Mmph" was his only response, his cobalt eyes still admiring the pure silvery beauty of the moon, since he found her more fascinating than the magnificent edifices and their annoying neon lights surrounding him. As he continued pondering about his future, Noctis noticed a glimpse of light in the bare blackness of the sky and his eyes rapidly searched for it.

_It _was happening again… the heavens opening their doors to bath this unholy ground with their divine glow, softly descending until the light touched the soil's surface, creating a gate for the souls that were to reach the kingdom of the dead. To join Etro, and her everlasting bliss…

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[1] I hope it didn´t sound too emotional.

[2] _Cesar. _Latin. Makes reference to the title of king or imperator, according to a friend of mine.

[3] _Filius _is the Latin form for "son".

[4] _Aeon. _It is a Latin transliteration from the koine Greek and archaic. I randomly chose this name (really) and when I was searching for its meaning I found that it possesses an agnostic connotation pointing to a series of evolved spiritual powers thanks to the progressive emanation of the Eternal Being, making the Pleroma (the spiritual or invisible world) different from the Keroma (the visible world). Aeon originally meant "Life" (as you could read the crystals were the origin of life) or "Being" but soon it was translated as "Eternity" and now is a "very long period time in history". It also makes reference to the divine emanation that wells up as a couple: masculine and feminine. What a coincidence…

[5] _Aureus_ means "golden" and _Solis_ is Latin for "sun". So, basically his name means "the golden sun of the sky". I have to say it was quite difficult to come up with a name worthy of a king :).

[6] _Pater_ is the Latin form for father (thanks Luxuria!).

[7] I really like how this sounds. I wanted to put something that has to do with the meaning of his name, Noctis Lucis Caelum, _"light of the night sky"_.It points to a star chart that was "possibly" made when he was born, it hints to that; but if you want to take it another way, fine.

[8] This comes off of an article I read about the crystals and the origin of life. Yeah, I know, I´m so boring, but I couldn't help it, I had to write about it ^^.

[9] _The city that never sleeps_. Really, what city sleeps nowadays?

[10] _Umbra_ means "shadow". I thought it would be a great name for the palace, since it gave me that impression when I saw it on the trailer.

[11] Ok, I was going to name her Luna… but, I thought it was too cliché so instead I picked Atrum which means "dark" :S I hope it's not cliché too lol.

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_**Author's Note: **__Well… what did you guys think? :D I worked really hard to write this chapter so I hope you liked it._

_Reviews will be appreciated, but please only constructive criticism =D. _


	2. Revenio

_**Author's Note: **_

_I know this may seems a bit short, but trust me: I've worked really hard. Originally, I have written this chapter some time ago. But after reading it, I casted it aside and rewrote it again mostly because the chapter was too long and tedious to read —.— (at least, it was for me…)._

_I have to thank my beta-reader __**Luxuria De'Voire **__again! ^^ like I said before, you are awesome! What would I do without your help, advice and cheering? She had done a great job so far and there are no words to express how thankful I am x3._

_So this chapter is dedicated to her :D _

_And, before we start, here are some Latin (and French) terms that I've used in this chapter, and their respective translations. _

_**Castellum**__: _castle.

_**Vitraux**__: _It's aFrench word. It refers to the stained-glass windows. (First and maybe only French word I'll ever use in this story o.o)

_**Frater**__:_ brother.

_**Heres**__: _heir.

_**Filius**__: _son.

_**Regina: **_queen.

_**Domina**__: _lady, mistress, ma'am.

_**Regis filia**__: _Since there is not a translation for princess in Latin, the nearest to it is _regis filia_ which means "daughter of the king".

_**Sponsus**__: _masculine form for "fiancé".

_**Foemina**__: _woman.

_**Puella**__: _girl.

_**Pater: **_father.

_**Cesar: **_makes reference to the title of King or Imperator.

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_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own Final Fantasy versus XIII or any of its characters as they all belong to Square Enix and Nomura. Nevertheless,__all OCs are mine!_

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_**Capitulus II: Revenio**_

_Revenio is latin for "to come back, return"._

Noctis caught sight of the Umbra _castellum _in the distance. A gloomy and sturdy fortress standing in the midst of a city's modernity, its darkness and sepulchral silence contrasted with the bright and noisiness of a sleepless town. It looked exactly as when he left, and in fact, it was the same magnificent and glorious edifice he remembered from his early childhood. It didn´t surprise him, since it had been the same since forever; he couldn´t even tell how old it was. Many generations of kings had lived in the grand structure through the millennia of reign, and Umbra was the most ancient palace in all of Aeon, for it was one of the few that had survived the war, that occurred a very long time ago.

Ten more minutes and the black cars stopped in front of a large iron door. Guards were lined on each side of the entrance and some of them were in the high towers of the blue-night granite walls. Of course, the arrival of the prince was expected and planned and though his men tried hard to keep it in secret, they did not succeed. The press had unfortunately spotted Noctis in the airport while he was getting into the car, which led him to think that some information must have been leaked and he soon found himself cursing mentally, wishing for them to leave him the hell alone.

In fact, he didn't enjoy being harassed by the media reporters. It was something he hated with a passion and desperately tried to avoid. He was fine with his private life as it was: private; he didn't want it to be the subject of discussion involving Etro knows who, much less than the petty speculation of some idiots about his crowning and his damn "_regina_".

After the guards checked the car, the passengers' papers and the safety of his highness, the doors opened allowing them to enter the Umbra fortress and into the huge front yard, its path lightened by the soft glow of neon lamp glasses on its flanks. His eyes surveyed the green spaces, gardens, fountains, and lagoons embellishing the grayish vast area; it was a beautiful sight for anyone not used to this measureless sumptuousness. Noctis couldn´t feel any more pleased as he finally was going to be able to take some well deserved rest, although not before a private gathering with his family that took place with the unfortunate addition of some of these so-called "counselors". He had to confess that travelling wasn't one of his favorite activities he used to do in the little spare time he had. He, of course, had visited many places, but that was far from being a pleasure trip.

The vehicle came to a stop as the chauffer finally parked in front of the colossal building. Noctis got out, not bothering to wait for somebody to open the car door for him. He was a man after all, and considered that he didn't need such attentions. As soon as he exited the black Ferrari, his dark hair shone a curious shade of gray when the fluorescent light touched his soft tresses. For a few seconds, his eyes studied the two titanic woman-statues guarding the Umbra main doors, sober and shady yet splendid.

As he walked up the numerous steps that were melodiously illuminated by the small floodlights on the ground, he was welcomed by the servitude with joy but eventual formality. Maybe they knew Noctis since he was just a little baby in the arms of his now defunct mother, but he was still the Prince and they owed him the deserving respect.

"Welcome Prince Noctis, It is good to see you again." they could tell it was him, even if he was some years older, no young man could carry himself with such confidence and pride. His demeanor showed a mysterious allure and his icy blue eyes, highlighted by his black and fine tailored-made suit, revealed an uncommon coolness, as if they were crying out the superiority of his status. The young heir only nodded slightly, a serious expression on his handsome features. "The King is waiting for you".

Without saying a word, he continued his march in silence with his men following close behind him. Of course his father was waiting for him— for ten years he had been… but Noctis knew there wasn't going to be such things as embraces, congratulations, or a "missed you, _filius_" for the matter. No. He was waiting for him not as his _Pater_,but as the _Cesar_.

His last test was about to begin…

…..

She sat almost motionlessly there, her pale blue eyes watching at her own petite and messy reflection on the large mirror of her crystal dressing table. She had exited the bathroom a few moments ago, and her rosy skin was soaked with the steamy ghost of hot water running down her curves as her damp long raven hair stuck onto it. She hadn't even bothered to put on a robe as she simply wore a large white towel over her body.

The somber and well-furnished room was lit by the dim golden glow of candles as the soft silvery moonlight slipped through the nearly faded _vitraux_, setting a helpless and almost romantic atmosphere. With the exquisite mixed scent of sandal, honey and lilies radiating from the scented oil she was boiling, the aromas flooded her senses making her feel somewhat pleased and relaxed.

The girl eyed the classical ebony clock hanging on the dark stony wall and when her mind processed the information her eyes widened slightly. Her state of relaxation diminished as she impatiently tapped her bare foot on the wine carpeted floor. _Where was that woman? _she wondered while biting her bottom lip anxiously. She was supposed to be there by the time she finished her bath. Finally, she decided she wasn't going to wait any longer; sure she could do _it _by herself. Of course she was capable of dressing by herself; it wasn't like she was a baby anymore. Sighing, she was about to sit up when she heard a gentle knock on the mahogany door.

"Come in," she answered softly as she lazily took her seat again, knowing exactly who it was. The wood creaked as a woman in her late forties entered the bedroom, a bit of worry in her jade eyes.

"I'm sorry for the delay, Lady Atrum. But—" the old woman apologized in an attempt to explain her setback, as she approached the young one.

"Do not worry, Clementia." assured Atrum, a soft expression on her features. "I haven't waited for that long. I just got out of the bathtub— "

"Oh! I'm really sorry, my lady. I should have prepared your clothes for you to wear!" Clementia exclaimed hastily as she hurried towards the "closet", which had the size of a normal middle class family bedroom, and many varnishing dark wooden wardrobes. She opened one of the drawers, and picked some lacey undergarments for her mistress to wear.

"It's okay. I could have done it by myself." answered Atrum while rolling her eyes slightly, a faint smile on her lips. She was used to this kind of treatment. Her nanny was always worrying about her like she was her mother…

"What dress will you wear, ma'am?" questioned the elder nanny, as her hands roamed amongst the bunch of fine dresses neatly hanged. "The white one you had told me about last night?"

"Yes, that one." agreed Atrum quietly as she softened the brunette locks of her hair with her slim fingers. The woman grabbed the outfit and walked into the bedroom again, passing by the comfortable cream colored sofa and the nice glass coffee table with silver candelabras and some books scattered over it.

"The prince is already here.", she commented while placing the clothing on the king size canopy bed decorated in crystal gauze.

"Oh…" was her only response as she gazed at Clementia out of the corner of her eye. _Frater_… he was finally at home. No wonder he was with _Pater_ and his men right at the moment. Of course, her presence there couldn't be that significant. After all, it was a meeting between _Cesar _and _heres_. She was just going to fulfill a formality, seeing that it would be thought wrong making such a snub on the Prince. He was the successor, and just as everyone else she had to show him her own respects. "Do you think that dress will be fine?" Atrum asked casually.

"I think it will look good on you, my _domina_." answered Clementia grabbing an extra towel from the bed and getting closer to her mistress. She proceeded to gently rub it against the girl´s moist hair, bringing out a giggle from her mouth at the tickling sensation. "Aren't you happy the prince is back?" the woman asked, which resulted in a sudden silence from the _regis filia._

The question had taken her by surprise. Did she feel happy? Well— certainly she was kind of curious about meeting her eldest brother, but honestly, how can someone feel that excited for meeting a stranger? It's not like she was going to be acquainted to her _sponsus_,or anything of that sort, and it was not that she actually would be gladder to. Therefore, forget about the emotive, nostalgic and melancholic novelistic encounter. Maybe Noctis was feeling the same way about her. Why should he waste his time thinking of her when his mind had far more important things to ponder about?

"Well… you could say that." Atrum finally spoke frowning slightly.

"You don't seem to be…" observed Clementia.

"It's just…" she paused for a moment as if thinking of an answer, "I'm feeling a bit tired… ", she softly uttered her lie as she gazed out towards the barely sky-blue stained glass of her window. She didn't feel like talking about it, or perhaps she didn't care.

"Well, you can always get some rest after your meeting, my _domina._" suggested Clementia while dropping the towel over an armchair and grabbing the hair dryer. The girl shifted in a more comfortable position, crossing her long pale legs as she reclined a bit towards the vanity then resting her elbows on its smooth glassy surface, while her chin reposed on her palms.

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to get some sleep as soon as this is over." Atrum said, feeling a warm and soft wind caressing her hair, as a low sound filled her ears.

"The king is planning on throwing a ball in honor of the Prince." commented the _femina, _while waving the hair dryer around Atrum's head.

"It was predictable…" said the young girl in a bored tone. Of course there was going to be a celebration, and a great one. The return of the prince had been, undoubtedly, the most expected event of the year. Even though the Royal Guard did everything within their reach to keep his homecoming a secret, some of the information was leaked to the press, and now the media did nothing but talk about it. Speculating about his crowning and marriage, they even spotted him in the airport… Oh, speaking about that… "Did you happen to see the news?"

"Yes, I did mistress." affirmed Clementia, grabbing softly the black bluish tresses. "The media reporters spotted the Prince in the airport…"

"_And_, they chased after his car…" the princess remarked. "For Etro's sake, they are such annoying people! They can be a pain in the—"

"Don't you dare to say that!" scolded Clementia while turning the dryer off. "A princess mustn't use that sort of foul language!"

"Actually, I was going to say 'a pain in the neck'" she mocked, a grin on her face. Sometimes it was funny to tease her nanny just to see her disapproving look on her emerald eyes and that pout on her thin wine lips. "Aw, come on! Hurry up, _femina_! I don't have all night!" She ordered while faking a displeasured expression.

"_Dear Etro!_" Clementia implored while shaking her head. "Please, give me patience with this _puella!_"

"I said, hurry up!" she ordered again, this time in a playfully tone. The old woman just smiled as she reassumed her previous actions in silence.

"Did you see him?" inquired Atrum, attempting to make some conversation after a few minutes in silence.

"Yes, I saw him while he was entering the palace, my lady." The nanny smiled brightly. "He is such a handsome young man. The young ladies will be stalking him, I know…"

"I'm sure they will… Whatever." Of course they will be after his brother like hungry wild beasts. Any woman would want to marry him and become the queen of Aeon.

When Clementia finished taking care of the girl's hair, she started heading to the canopy bed to pick the clothes for dressing her mistress, but Atrum stopped her from doing so. She could notice the astonished look her nanny gave her as she allowed Clementia to go.

"Please, excuse me with him. Tell the _Cesar_ I'll be there soon." She asked.

"But, ma'am–"objected the woman. _Her mistress wanted to dress by herself_? Why? All these years it was _her_ dressing her little princess. Then again, Atrum was no longer a little girl… she was growing into a young lady. Her Lady would marry someday and then she will be gone.

She wasn't a baby anymore. She wasn't _her_ baby anymore…

"I will do it myself." Atrum requested, a bit of seriousness on her voice. "You can go now."

It seemed Clementia was about to say something but regretted it as she nodded weakly. She couldn't disobey the princess. It didn't matter what she felt, she was nothing but a mere servant to her. Nothing more.

"As you wish; my _domina_." The woman bowed and exited the room.

The dark door closed heavily, leaving the princess all by herself. Sighing heavily, Atrum sat up and dropped her white towel to the floor as her naked form made its way to the bed. The unexpected crackling of candles was heard while shadows danced like ghosts on the walls as she reached for her clothes that were laid on her bed.

It was time for playing the _perfect _princess role once more.

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_**Author's Note: **__I hope you did like the chapter x3. If you feel like leaving a review it will be very much appreciated. Let me know what you think, what you like or do not like. But please only constructive criticism :D _


	3. La Mia Famiglia

_**Author's Note: **__Here is the third chapter! ^^ yay! At last! :D_

_Firstly, I would like to thanks all of you who have read this and much more to those people who have reviewed :3 you know it means a lot to me :D thanks for your cheering! You are awesome!_

_**Luxuria de'Voire: **__Girl what would I do without you? :3 the most awesome beta reader ever! Thanks a lot for your help, encouragement and advice! Without you, this story would probably be a piece of crap. _

_**FallenAngel680: **__Thanks a lot for reviewing and for your support! Really gives me motivation to keep going ^^ I'm so happy you did like the story :D especially when I thought it would be flamed by everyone for this incest thing… And here is the reunion that you badly wanted, though I don't know if it's what you expected D: _

_**Alrynnas: **__*O* the great Alry reviewed my story OMG! Truth is, (I didn't tell you at first, I know TT_TT) but your writing inspired me when I first read your Lux Crystallis on Quizilla :B like really…_

_**NoOne: **__Glad you did love it :) _

_**Atrum: **__o.O OMG! Atrum! __What? When? How did you get out of my fic? Holy_–! _Well, don't worry! Here you are going to meet your brother! But, don't expect for things to get warmed up, at least not for now xD _

_**(No name): **__Yes! Another NoctxOC! I mean, I'm not against Noctella fans, if they like the couple fine. It's just that canon pairings (whoever they are, not just NoctisXStella) really don't catch my attention. _

_:D glad you liked it! And… uum, Noctis' death… yes, since the trailer hinted that he was close to a death experience (and as Noctis said, "it was pretty horrible") I'd manage to write about that… though I still can't think of that description as a dark one ._._

_And yes, I do like incestuous stories *sweatdrop*, so I thought "why not write about royal incest?" _

_Thanks to everybody! :D_

_And, some Latin terms:_

_**Pater:**_father.

_**Mater: **_mother.

_**Soror: **_sister.

_**Frater: **_brother.

_**Cesar: **_makes reference to the title of King or Imperator.

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_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own Final Fantasy versus XIII or any of its characters as they all belong to Square Enix and Nomura. Nevertheless,__all OCs are mine!_

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_**Capitulus**__** III:**_

_**La Mia Famiglia**_

"_La Mia Famiglia" is an Italian expression that means "my family". [1]_

He watched the small bubbles dancing in the yellowy sparkling wine of his glass with an indifferent gaze as he tactfully smelled its intense acetic fruit scent. The huge room around him wasn't as gloomy as the façade of Umbra. Actually, it was very vivid and illuminated, yet abstemious. Delicate and glassy crystal chandeliers were hanging from the grayish ceiling, its glow reflected on the high white walls of the main hall. The light they provided was engulfed by the blackness of the very clean and well polished floor like some kind of black hole, making it even hard to see his reflection— a plain and lifeless darkness was all he could see beneath his foot.

His eyes slowly moved to the great armchair where his father was seated, a glass of champagne in hand and a cold expression over his face while he chatted with two other men discreetly. It didn't take a fortune-teller to know what they were talking about; _Pater_ was a business' man after all.

No doubt his family was a very powerful and wealthy one, not only were they royalty, but also The Caelum possessed several corporations under their control. They were owners from technologic, pharmacologic and food industries, to five stars hotel companies and chains of supermarkets. They would buy one of them in bankrupt and with their money it would prosper and rise up a thousand times stronger. His family would take part on a business with a computable amount of stocks and progressively the whole company was theirs. They had even monopolized newspapers, radio and television networks. To make the story short, they owned almost every commercial organization, be it legal or "legal", in Aeon, and none of them were allowed to trade or even make a move without their consent.

That's why The Caelum's fortune had reached measureless proportions: their sources were _unlimited_; and it was their political power which allowed it. Of course, many of the businesses they held were on behalf of parties, and kept in secret. In any case, will society bear the fact a mafia-like association had taken control over their lives and everything they consumed? Probably not. Let the public believe everything was in order and under control. That`s what the media, which was theirs, induced them to think.

And here, he was worrying about the crystal.

The _Mafia _[2]_._ Noctis sometimes even found it amusing to compare his father to a _Don_ and that, someday, he would be one too. It was sort of ironic; they represented law but at the same time they transgressed it.

_There's nothing either good or bad, but only thinking makes it so. _

Murky morality: his life was full of it, and he had seen a lot of it through his life. The notion of good and bad was only in people's minds for there is only virtue and excess. Happiness and wisdom are virtues, sadness and foolishness are vices. "Good and bad" was an ethical judgment of "decent" persons, and criticizing was their _vice_. That's what his mentor said once.

And cynicism was theirs. Leading some sort of crime organization and pretending to be respectable— it was almost hilarious if not fraudulent. Nevertheless, people didn't complain; they couldn't even if they wanted.

He frowned when he heard a man saying something about _Niflheim _and their interest in having dealings with Aeon. The two kingdoms had been enemies in the past war, and even though there was invisible tension between them, they agreed to forget about the preceding conflicts and sign "peace". Nonetheless, tautness was growing between Aeon and several neighboring realms and this was what worried him the most. _They _knew about the crystal and that thanks to it they had progressed. It was thanks to its resonance that their civilization was a flourishing one. They were aware that it was its power that brought all the blessings in Aeon. How could they not crave for Etro's blood, when it was a beautiful gift?

He often pondered if _Pater_ wanted him to protect the crystal for everybody's sake, or just because it was a family's "possession". Maybe he couldn't stand the idea of another controlling it. Could he tolerate the idea of him acquiring its power? Could he trust him?

Noctis' eyes narrowed a little as he dismissed such thoughts. This _not-even-trust-your-shadow_ thinking was preposterous. Even if this was about money and power, there were rituals, rules and loyalty. Why should he doubt of his own Family? [3]

_Do not hesitate. Not once. _

There were about fifteen guests reunited at the main lounge, talking, laughing, drinking, or smoking; some of the servants offered them with drinks, cigars and appetizing snacks as they all waited for dinner to be served. All of them wore black suits, and Noctis believed for a brief moment that they were at a funeral; the only thing they were in need of was a cadaver to keep a vigil over. Maybe he was the corpse and they didn't even know it…

He was the one who should be dead, not _her._

The sweet yet bitter alcoholic effervescence taste invaded his mouth again, as he felt the golden rich liquid going down his throat. He felt a little uneasy; he wasn't used to be around so many people, and those furtive glances they gave him from time to time did nothing but get on his nerves.

_Do not let them know how you are feeling._

An old woman walked into the sitting room and to his father, and it took him several seconds to recognize her as his childhood's nanny, Clementia. Her once blonde hair was now light gray and a few pronounced lines were visible on her pale face— honestly the woman looked older than he ever expected. She bowed, and then whispered something in Aureus' ear. His father just nodded distantly as he continued his discussion with his visitors.

"Lord Noctis?" a male voice said, bringing him out of his wordless deliberation. He turned to the person standing next to him.

"Yes?" said the prince, an unimpressed look on his eyes while eyeing the fifty-year-old man in front of him.

"I am Leo Adustum." the guest introduced himself, offering his hand for a shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, prince."

'_Sadly, I can´t tell the same…'_

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Adustum.", answered Noctis steadily as both of them shook hands shortly. This Leo Adustum was one of the leaders of the Consilium. All of those present were, or otherwise they wouldn't be here right at the moment.

"How are you feeling, your highness?" spoke the old man as he unconsciously stirred up the ice in his glass of tea-colored whisky. "I guess you're tired from the trip, aren't you?"

"I've had worst ones, Mr.—Adustum." the brunet young man replied politely, nearly forgetting his guest's name. It was not his fault, not when he had heard the same speech from the other four previous ones.

"Oh! Please, just call me Leo, would you?" the bald man requested.

"I would rather call you by your last name, if you don't mind…" retorted Noctis, an irrevocable apathy manifesting on his surface, though he tried to mask it with great effort. He didn't want to develop any kind of reliance with them; he had no desire to do so.

"Oh! Of course! As you wish; your highness." Leo agreed smiling. Oh, a fake one. It didn't surprise him, since he _himself_ was faking at the moment. "So, now what are your plans, Prince Noctis? I've heard from your father that you'll be studying laws and politics next year."

"Yes, I will Mr. Adustum. I'll follow the tradition of _mia familia."_ answered Noctis, while pretending a small smile of his own. Yes, he was a hypocrite, he had always been. Hypocrisy was his mean for survival in this world. If he was to go and being honest in each relationship Aeon held until now, everything would downfall, and _their_ system itself would collapse. It was a necessary evil, and he would have to live with it whether he liked it or not.

"Your record in the academy was exceptional. I'm sure the _Cesar_ is proud of you, prince." The man said.

"I do what I must to please the _Cesar_." Noctis replied as he placed his glass on a silver tray that was held by one of the servants that passing by.

"Indeed, your highness." Adustum said as he placed his own on the tray. "I'm sure you did hear the news about Niflheim." The man commented as he grabbed another glass of whisky.

"Yes, and I'm quite impressed. Who would have thought?" Noctis smirked. "After all these years, waging a cold war against us, they finally decided to take a more _diplomatic _path." He remarked the word. His tone was almost ironical. Yes, it was a more diplomatic tactic to mask their rivalry, and camouflage their actions against his realm.

"Yes. In fact, everybody here thinks of the same as you. Nevertheless, if they want peace, as they claimed, it would be thought wrong to turn them down. Don´t you think so?" Adustum said while stirring up the ice in his drink again, a sharp smile on his lips. "Nevermind; Prince Noctis. So tell me… when is our heir going to engage?" he asked somewhat of lively, changing their subject of discussion.

'_Marriage, again…'_

They were really concerned about producing a new successor, it seemed.

"Well, actually…" the Prince started but abruptly remained quiet as his eyes inspected the glass of whisky in Adustum's grasp. He couldn't help but hate what that was doing. The sound of ice clinking against glass was somehow mentally straining him as it grew more and sharper.

He watched the man's lips move almost in a slow motion, but he couldn't listen anything anymore. He couldn't hear anything else aside from that awful drone…

"Prince Noctis?"

"Please, excuse me…" he simply said as he passed the man, leaving him in the middle of their conversation.

He inconspicuously exited the hall. His head was beginning to hurt a little, as well as his ears that were ringing. He shook his head as he rubbed his temple, feeling a bit relieved as the pain faded from his being.

Great, it was the third time he experienced those kinds of things in the last four months. He sighed heavily. Maybe he was suggested— maybe he was just tired.

All he knew right at the moment is that he wanted to get away from all those decaying men who upset him with their trivial words, and breathe some fresh air. _Just wait until he was crowned king_, those old foxes were going to be replaced. He needed young people like himself by his side, and is what just this Consilium needed: fresh minds and new ideas. Their conservative opinions were good enough for old days, but times had changed and now they needed new ones too.

He quickly walked up the long marble stairs, the bright light from downstairs slowly fading as he went into a dim and stony corridor. His steps were deaf, barely perceptible, as the sound was swallowed by the dark rug.

'_Oh, who was he kidding?'_

If he was going to do that they would accuse him of challenging the political government that ruled in Aeon. Not even a king had total control over his lands nowadays. There were a régime and laws to follow, to save appearances at least.

But his trail of thoughts was disturbed as he turned a corner in the corridor, and suddenly collided with something or rather, someone, by the muffled moan he heard. Noctis stumbled backwards a bit as he shook his head in annoyance— it was just what he needed. Couldn't this night get any better?

He looked at the petite figure in front of him— it was a young girl. Her black-bluish hair was long and reached down her shoulders, and her big pale blue eyes… they looked up at him with such shock and surprise from underneath her bangs. It was like she felt very ashamed of what she had just done.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Prince Noctis…" she mumbled in an apologetic voice, as she respectfully bowed in front of him. It wasn't her actions that caught his attention since he was already used to this treatment, but her face. She was so alike to _her_…

_She… she must be…_

"_Soror…?"_ He called, a bit of uncertainty in his voice, though his face hardly showed it. There was no doubt she was his sister. Who else was going to be identical to his _Mater?_ The lone remembrance of her made his heart hurt and twinge.

"Yes, that's me, _frater_." She answered politely, her voice relaxing as she sheepishly scratched the tip of her nose. Maybe she felt awkward.

"Do you recognize me?" he questioned frowning a bit, while eyeing covertly the sleeveless white dress that went about her knees and the black silky thin ribbon winded up her waist.

"How can I not, prince? I have seen pictures of you before." She responded, a feeble smile on her lips.

'_Oh, right, the pictures. I should have known._'

"Yes. Of course." was Noctis' reply, before both of them remained silent.

"Well, I guess I should be going downstairs." His sister announced as she bowed again. "It was good to see you, prince."

"Just, call me Noct." He solicited. She was his sister after all. Why should she insist on calling him by his proper title?

"As much as I would like to please you, I'm afraid I can't do that. See you later, Prince Noctis." She stated courteously, before turning her back to him and headed to the stairs. He turned to resume his walking but then stopped as realization burned in his mind.

"Princess Atrum!" he softly exclaimed, turning slightly to her direction. The girl halted and faced him, a questioning look on her blue eyes. If she was going to address him as a _Prince_, he might as well keep the distance she had put in between the two of them.

"Is there something you need?" She inquired, gazing at her elder brother.

"Actually… yes, there is something I would like to ask of you." He uttered fixing his eyes on hers, icy blue meeting pale azure. "If _Pater_ asks for me, would you make up and excuse or better yet, tell him you didn't see me?"

She tilted her head and for a brief moment, she seemed confused by his request, but then acquiesced without questioning him.

"Just make sure to be there by dinner, lest you want to displease him." She suggested.

"I will." He assured, impassiveness washing over his face again. "And, sorry…"

It took her a few seconds to get what he meant. He was apologizing for their little incident moments ago. The young princess nodded in silence before turning on her heels, and leaving him by himself.

Noctis just merely sighed tiredly, and continued his walk, never looking back.

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[1] Some people believe that _mafia_ is an apocopation of "**m**i**a** **f**amigl**ia"**

[2] Well, nowadays this word is used to refer to almost any organized crime group, and in some cases is even used to describe some groups completely unrelated to crime, or so I have read.

[3] O.O I feel like Puzo writing "the Godfather" right this moment lol. Ok, now being serious, I'm not an expert on the mafia subject but… I did my best D:

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_**Author's Note: **__Well :D what did you think? Like always, reviews will be very much appreciated. _

_Oh, and soon I'll be posting a collection of one-shots featuring Noctis and Atrum… I'm trying to get typed the first one. And trying to come up with a title for the collection —.— it proved to be harder than I thought; anyways I'm working on it! ^^. And no, I'm not discontinuing this fic… _

_Kind regards! _


	4. Meminisse

_**Author's Note:**_

_Yet another new chapter! I'm so sorry for the delay! Really, really sorry ._._

_I am so grateful to all those people who have read, reviewed, and added to story alert and favorites. Power to you my readers! :D _

_Well, it took me awhile to get this typed xD sorry, it's just that I wanted to take a break from writing (lol) for dedicating some time to read and write fics of my other favorite fandoms ^^_

_To __**Alrynnas**__: my writer model xD, yes your story has inspired me! I say it again! When I read her Lux Crystallis (if you didn't read it, what are you waiting for?) I said to myself "I want to write like she does" xD and so here I am… also thanks for all your supporting :) really keeps me motivated. _

_I'm so glad to know I managed well with this whole "mafia-family" idea for versus XIII xD and the famous Shakespeare quote… I had to put it somewhere lol. _

_And to be honest, your one shot 'The Darkness That Follows The Light' inspired me to write this chapter down :D hope that is alright ._. _

_To __**XIII**__: yes! They are reunited! Oh, formalities… yeah :/ but well, it is required… ten years had passed since the last time they saw each other and I can't picture them throwing into each other's arms for a warm hug ._. Sorry if that disappointed you. _

_To __**(nameless): **__Glad you did like it. I hope you like this chapter too. _

_To __**LeahFlux: **__I like the names too! ^^ lol. Good to know my English is somewhat comprehensible. Owie! I like the Mafia story too (?) xD_

_To __**xAkinaxChanx: **__Aaaw! Thank you very much! I'm doing my best :D _

_To __**MikaMikaru:**__ Thank you, girl! ^_^ you are so lovely! _

_To __**UPDATE DX**__: Here is your update! :D hope you like it. _

_To __**(nameless)**__: Well, I hope the reasons mentioned above are enough for you xD and again sorry… take this new chapter as an apology for my delay ._. _

_To __**Light Of The Night Sky**__: Yes, for now their relationship is a bit distant and as you mentioned, it takes some time for something so unnatural as love (let's face it… it's unnatural, at least that's what they taught us). I'm so happy you're enjoying this story so far :)_

_And last but not least, enormous thanks to my awesome beta reader __**Luxuria de'Voire**__! ^^ YOU GO GIRL! Without her, this fic would be nothing soooo (maybe you are tired of hearing this xD) I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU, my friend! :D _

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_**DISCLAIMER:**_

_I do not own Final Fantasy versus XIII or any of its characters as they all belong to Square Enix and Nomura. All I own are my OCs._

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_**Pater: **_father.

_**Mater:**_mather.

_**Dea Mater: **_Mother Goddess.

_**Sol: **_sun.

_**Castellum: **_castle.

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_**Capitulus IV: Meminisse**_

_Meminisse is Latin for "to remember". _

A muffled scream was swallowed in his dry throat as his eyes brusquely opened, the clear blue sky of his gaze shaded by a disturbing fear overwhelming his fogged senses. Meeting the heavy darkness that surrounded him, panic took over for a brief moment before he realized that the sinister fantasy assaulting his psyche had withered into nihility.

Putting a hand over his face, he attempted to wash away the apprehensive sensation that had invaded his tensed and aching body. He could feel the cold moisture that slightly wetted his pale skin as a sweat drop slid down his neck, chilling the naked flesh. His breathing was somewhat ragged, and his exhales were escaping in soft puffs from his parted lips in a steady rhythm.

'_It was just a nightmare, nothing more.' _

He slowly sat up, the silk of the grayish blankets caressing him as he managed to step his bare foot to the black-carpeted floor, whilst his hands blindly sought for the lamp switch on the smooth cool wall.

Soon, a dim light flooded the room, revealing his nude upper body and the pearly fine layer of perspiration that covered his back, only adding discomfort to his current state. Stooping and resting his elbows onto his knees, he grabbed his head in his hands as if trying to free himself from those hideous sequences that haunted him during his sleep.

It wasn't the first time he had dreamt those bad dreams. It wasn't strange either, because he knew everybody had experienced them at some point of their lives. Instead, what troubled him mainly was the unavoidable fate of suffering through them practically on a nightly basis.

Surely, when he arrived, he thought he could get some rest, but things turned out to be rather different from what he wished— unfortunately.

A few years ago, nightmares weren't as frequent as they were now. They would pursue him but then they would leave him be for some time. The feeling he got was much like being exposed to someone's taunting, someone who tormented him and then allowed him to recover for a new dose of anguish.

They said the nightmares would lessen with time, but they only seemed to increase with it, and needless to say that seeing those lurid visions were distressing. They always left him with an unsettling feeling to deal with afterwards— a sensation of guilt and sorrow for things that can't be undone.

His fingers dug into his hair as a heavy sigh escaped his narrow lips. He was sure that he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Certainly, there had been opportunities of a peaceful slumber, but lately there were hardly any in his schedule. He even had resorted to pills, but the "cure" proved to be worse as they only aggravated the mental illness that infected and consumed his soul.

He focused his gaze at the crystal clock hanging on the wall, its hands showing him it was twenty past four in the morning. He only had slept three hours, or at least tried to. He was feeling very tired, though he was reluctant to the idea of closing his eyes once more.

Standing up, he walked to the dark door and opened it. Feeling the sensation of the warm rug replaced by the frosty marble under his skin, as cold as ice itself, he shivered for a second before the sudden difference of warmth. Switching the light on, a pallid fluorescent light broke the shadows and saturated the place, revealing the familiar setting of a private bathroom.

Stepping in front of the long counter, he turned the faucet on as his calloused hands cupped some water to frantically splash it over his face. Cupping some more, his desiccated lips met the humidity of the frail surface before his mouth opened to eagerly drink the fluid that drenched his burning and arid throat.

Slowly lifting his gaze, he studied his reflection. His complexion looked paler than usual. His ivory skin now looked as pasty as the untainted white snow falling at the beginning of winter. His dark hair as black as night, made him look almost like a ghost. His blue moonstone eyes were the only things that stood out of that achromatic picture, staring at him in such an accusative way.

Scars of old injuries blemished his façade, each one of them telling a different story of his life. Each one of them reminded him of things he had learned in the past years. From being careful when it comes to glass, to not play with fire. From learning that blades are not toys, to not underestimate your enemy when you are in battle.

But there was that certain scar lying on his chest that acted as a painful reminder of shattering dreams, vanishing illusions and disgraced days— the reminiscent fatality that was the cause of all his nightmarish nights of insanity.

_He should have gone with her._

But he didn't. Instead, he kept living only to remember that day. To recalling her immaculate beauty corrupted by a ruby appearance, crimson polluting the whiteness of his angel's wings. His guardian that protected him, even if it meant giving her life in the process.

People would go and try to comfort him with empty and vane words but that wasn't what he really needed. He wanted someone to listen to him, someone to hold him in his mourning. He was tired of people telling him that everything was going to be alright. It was a lie…

_Not even Pater listened. _

She was buried two feet underground, and he couldn't be in there. He couldn't say good bye to her, he couldn't tell her how much he loved her and missed her…

_His angel was gone. _

The only thing that was left for him to do was to swallow his pain and pretend that everything was fine. Grieving over her loss wasn't going to bring her back. She wasn't coming back, ever. So the best solace he could ever find as a child was conceiving that _Mater_ dwelled in the divine light of the Dea Mater. Like the angel she was… maybe protecting him from the heights of the sky. From the evil shadows that had hunted him all those years, intending to fill the hollow that she had left in his heart with their filthy and corrupted perceptions.

It was too bad they were succeeding.

He never blamed Etro because he knew the goddess didn't have control over the fates of the Men. By the stars, he didn't hold resentment against her, for it wasn't her who decided _Mater_'s death. It was some twisted mind seeking for his destruction, for his life to come to an end, wishing to see him wallowing in his bloody fate.

_It was power and greed that had killed her… _

_It was all because of him._

He turned off the water, and grabbed the white roller towel to dry his face. Tossing the cloth aside, he stepped into his room again moving to reach the large glassy windows on the balcony. He breathed into the cool air that welcomed him while he leaned onto the railing supporting the weight of his body with his forearms, intending to relax as he gazed at the urban landscape.

The black and ominous veil of the night covered the glowing city before his eyes, engulfing the radiance of its bright lights. A few squares of lights in the tall buildings surrounding the Umbra palace shone in the distance, and Noctis couldn't help but think that there was someone else out there, just like him, unable to fall asleep— perhaps haunted by horrid dreams too.

He weakly snorted, while watching the sentinels guarding the solid bastion, the _castellum _and stronghold of innumerable successions of _Cesares. _Oh, books and old tales had told him about the former magnificence that the nation before his eyes had paraded in the times of yore, when their city was shining under the sun in the sky like a needle of silver in the midst of an isolated ground.

_Elohira _[2]_: _the historic metropolis of The Shining Sovereigns [3], Guardians of the Crystals— The Forgotten City of the Light and the dwelling of his ancestors.

A legendary country of _Prima Aesta_ [4] completely made of crystal, gold and precious gemstones, brightly illuminated with the light of the Fire Pillars, displaying the splendor and beauty of huge temples, complexes, gardens and buildings, along with various forms of sacrosanct geometry.

And the _Aureum Templum_ [5]… a pyramidal sanctuary covered by a now unknown metal as refulgent as flames, was encircled by rings of gold and silver. It was the very place where the pure blood of the _Dea Mother_ resided, spreading their blessings and power to their children.

_The Crystal's Valley. _

The power of the crystals was well known and disseminated in those days of glory— times where peace reigned amongst people.

The combination of brightness, color, magnetism and thoughts' energies were canalized by those gems to achieve wonders in the healing subject with no suffering for people, no blood and no pain. They could rejuvenate the body cells in the crystals chambers, and hence people were able to live for several centuries.

The Crystal had been used to gather the energies of the sun, the moon, the stars, the atmosphere and the earth, as well as other unknown elemental forces. This energy was used for many purposes. In the beginning it was used most purely as a spiritual tool for those who could manage the stream of power.

But when their physical bodies were further developed, they used it to rejuvenate themselves, and people were able to live centuries keeping a youth appearance all the while.

Titanic structures rose thanks to its power of dematerialization and telekinesis, transporting material from one place to another. It served to the manipulation of the energetic reactions of materia and antimateria to reach the skies' stars. They were used as combustible in energy centers, as Fire Stones, filtering rays of the sun via rubies to concentrate their energy.

The power of The Crystal was no secret to keep back then.

How was it that that Golden Age came to an end?

Lust for power.

The perversion engulfed the minds of those who were descendants of the _Elohim_, consuming and burning their puny souls and minds, making them incapable of reasonable thinking — their mentalities void of any thought other than domination and supremacy.

Pride and conceit ate away their hearts.

The selfish leaders of several realms in the world lost their interest in scientific progress and even their respect for the Ancient Knowledge disappeared. And while they dedicated their energies in the practice of dangerous Occultism, the black magic gradually replaced the Religion.

And their hatred spread in the world like a cancer.

Kingdoms started to wage war with one another and the harmony that had once led men with such wisdom was shattered like a glass when it abruptly hits the ground. One by one they fell into darkness and devastation, and the eternal cycle of death and doom.

Some of these sovereignties were completely annihilated and their existence erased from the very surface of the earth, leaving behind old ruins as the only proof they once were there.

They had managed to survive the harshness and cruelty of the hostilities, barely. As a peaceful state, they had never needed of such things as armies or weapons. So, one could only imagine the shock and astonishment when without prior warning an entire armed force raided their people and lands, destroying, killing, and burning all that stood on their way.

The story that they would never forget was ever present to remind them of the faults of the past. Mistakes that it seemed others had not learned from.

They still wanted the crystal, _their_ crystal.

He respected its power, he even feared it! Because he knew it was capable of horrific things. Its might could be dreadful if wrongly used. Honestly, he had never been that close to their Goddess' gift, but he knew well enough that it wasn't something to take lightly.

He knew the reason why those nations disappeared. It was caused by their crystals— the Cosmo-telluric powers they handled were beyond their control, they escaped their limits provoking a great unbalance in Nature.

They say forgiveness is divine, they say man can sometimes forgive. But Mother Nature never forgives and she paid them back. The Cataclysms broke upon them and they perished beneath her rage.

He always reminded himself that this was no child's game.

And he was no child.

These only were legends to common people, but for him it was no myth— no fable. This was the pure truth, and the proof of it was under lock and key, protected from the outside world and from the greed of those who want nothing more than to serve to their own twisted purposes.

Again, he watched the guards, chatting or pacing slowly on the dark and high walls, keeping an eye on their surroundings, and others were even sleeping in the insides of the turrets, oblivious to the danger arising very close to them.

What if a war burst in Aeon all of a sudden?

He lazily ran a hand over his countenance as he pondered about the gathering a few hours ago, remembering the chatting and smoke filling the room, as well as the smell of alcohol that had impregnated on his skin and black suit. The sound of laughing that still lingered in his mind…

Was there a reason to laugh? He didn't see a reason to. The cold war wasn't over and yet they were drinking to the health of this Peace Treaty? He couldn't understand what _Pater_ was thinking. Did he not see? They were being tricked and fooled by those Niflheim pigs.

'_You have so much to learn, Noctis.' _

That is what he had told him when they talked in private. He had said that he was still young and there were things he couldn't understand just yet. The hell with that! He may be young but he wasn't some brainless brat.

What if Aureus was wrong? What if Niflheim really was up to something?

But still, he knew _Pater_ would never agree to make a deal with those who wanted to destroy him and this realm without thinking of consequences and evaluating the benefits he could get from his feasible actions. Many years of operating in the Mafia undoubtedly had molded the way he saw business.

But this was no Mafia issue. This was their kingdom, their lands, their people they were talking about. They weren't dealing with representatives of _La Cosa Nostra—_

Then it hit him… like a splash of frozen water hitting over his skin. How could he miss something like that? How…? This wasn't about politics and peace for people, but money— loads of it.

'_It could be profiting for all of us.'_

That was what Adustum had said. At first it seemed almost ridiculous to him, but now it made sense. It all made.

_Was Aureus willing to sell his country? _

No. It couldn't be that. There was no way— of course not. That was foolish thinking.

_Reasons. Reasons. _

_What were his? What was he trying to do?_

A faint beam of luminosity shone on the horizon, fissuring the darkness overwhelming the skies. It stained it with a dark shade of purple that little by little changed into different hues as the firmament became clearer and lighter.

It was _Sol_ whom was arising in the daybreak of their lives, ready to ride his chariot in all his glory to provide every living being with his force and radiance.

He straightened himself up as he headed back to his chambers, intending to prepare for the busy day that has been programmed in his agenda.

He gave one last glance outside the balcony. The black and ominous shroud of the night had risen and the birth of a new day had been proclaimed to every creature that dwelled in those lands.

The obscure reign of Nox was over.

And unaware of it, in that newborn day another silver string of light broke in the firmament, descending to the ground, to welcome a new soul in its grace…

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[1] _Elohira. _It comes from Elohim, which is a grammatical singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew.

[2] A reference to 'The Shining Ones', known minor gods and goddesses in the antique, from whom it is said the Kings are descendants. It's very complicated to explain right now but if you want more information you would like to check bibliotecapleyades (dot)net.

[3] _Prima Aesta. _Latin for 'First Age'. Inspired in the LOTR books.

[4] _Aureum Templum. _The Golden Temple.

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_**Author's Note:**_

_That was it :D hope you liked it people!_

_As always, reviews are really appreciated! Till the next time!_


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